April 30, 2012

Curd Rice/Thayir Sadam -South Indian Yogurt Rice Recipe

Ingredients
Cooked rice - 2 cups
Oil - 2 tspn
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Channa dal - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal -1/2 tspn
Asafoetida powder - a pinch (optional)
Green chill - 4 (chopped)
Ginger - 1 tblspn (chopped)
Pearl onions - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Dried red chillies - 2 (broken into two)
Curry leaves - 1 spring 
Curd - 1 cup
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing ( chopped)
Preparation
1.Heat oil in a pan.
2.Splutter mustard seeds .
3.Add channa dal and urad dal. Fry for 5 seconds but do not let them burn.
4.Add asafetida powder, chopped green chilies,ginger ,pearl onions,dried red chillies and  curry leaves.Saute it.
5.Take off the pan from the stove and let it cool a little.
6.Add Curd and salt.Mix well.
7.Add the cooked rice  and coriander leaves.Combine well and serve.

April 27, 2012

Kollu Puli kulambu (Horse gram tamarind curry)-South Indian Recipe

Ingredients
Horse gram - 1 cup
Tomato - 1
Pearl Onion - 1/2 cup (chopped)
Garlic - 3 clove (crushed)
Dry red chili - 2 (broken into two)
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Curry leaves - 2 springs
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
Chilli powder - 1 tspn
Salt (or to taste)
Thick tamarind (1 lemon size) pulp
Water - 3 cups
Coconut oil/Olive oil - 2 tspn
Preparation 
  1. Pressure cook the horse gram with 3 cups of water and salt for upto 3 to 4 whistles. 
  2. Add the chopped tomatoes,chilli powder and turmeric powder.Let it boil for 10 minutes in medium heat.
  3. Add tamarind pulp and boil another 10 minutes in medium heat.Add water if needed.
  4. Heat oil in an another pan.Splutter mustard seeds.Add crushed garlic ,dried red chillies ,pearl onions and curry leaves.Stir for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Pour this into the Curry for garnishing.

April 23, 2012

Panchamrutham -Indian Sweet Recipe

Ingredients
Banana (ripe) - 2  
Jaggery-1/2 cup
Milk- 1/2 cup
Honey-4 tbsp
Ghee-2 tbsp
Raisins- 1/4 cup
Dates -1/4 cup (cut into small pieces)
Sugar candy- 1/4 cup
Preparation
1.Smash the Banana to a smooth paste.
2.Crush the sugar candy into coarse powder.
3.Make a Jaggery syrup by adding in water. Strain it to remove dirt if any. Dont make it too watery.
4.Heat a deep pan and add the jaggery syrup and milk.
5.Once it starts boiling add the smashed banana.
6.Keep in simmer and keep stirring until most of the milk gets absorbed
7.Add ghee and keep stirring till it becomes thick. Switch off the heat.
8.Add dates to it along with raisins , honey and crushed sugar candy.  Stir it evenly.
Serve it cold (as your taste)

April 17, 2012

Beetroot Halwa - Indian Sweet Recipe

Ingredients
Beetroot(peeled and shredded)-1 cup
Milk-2  cups
Cardamom-1 tspn
Sugar – ¼ cup
Cashews and raisins roasted in ghee for garnishing.
Ghee-3 tspn
Preparation
1.Boil the milk on medium-high heat in a non-stick pan.
2.Add the shredded beetroot. Cook on a low flame for 1 hour stirring occasionally.Beetroot should be tender.
3.Add sugar and cardamom, mix well and cook till the sugar has dissolved and all the milk has been absorbed.
4.Add ghee and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
5.Garnish with cashews and raisins.

April 14, 2012

Avil payasam(Poha kheer-Rice Flakes Pudding)- Vishu Special Recipe

Ingredients
Avil (thick poha/ Rice flakes) - 1 cup
Milk - 4 cups
sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom powder- 1 tspn
ghee- 2 tsp
Cashew & Raisins - 1/4 cup ( roasted in ghee)
Preparation
1.Boil milk .
2.Add sugar to the milk and boil for 5 minutes.
3.Meanwhile in an another deep pan add ghee and roast the avil(rice flakes) .
4.Add  the boiled milk to roasted avil pan.
5.Let it boil and simmer for about 15-20minutes.Let the quantity reduce to 3/4th of the amount.
6. Add cardamom powder ,ghee roasted cashew and raisins.
Serve it.

Happy Vishu

Vishu Special

April 10, 2012

Baby Arugula Stir Fry - Indian Style

Ingredients
Baby Arugula (chopped)-3 cups
Onion-1 (chopped)
Green chilli-2 (sliced)
Dried red chillies-2 (broken into two)
Channa dal-2 tspn
Turmeric powder-1/4 tspn
Mustard seeds-1 tspn
Olive oil or coconut oil-1 tblspn
Grated coconut-1 tblspn
Salt to taste
Preparation
1.Heat oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds.
2.Add channa dal and fry it until it turns golden brown color.
3.Add red chillies,onions and green chillies .stir it until the onions turns golden brown color.
4.Add Baby Arugula,turmeric powder and salt.stir well.
5.Keep the lid closed and cook it in low heat until the spinach are tender.
6.Add the grated coconut and stir well.Remove from the stove.
 Serve with rice.

April 5, 2012

Kale Stir Fry-Indian Style

Ingredients 
Kale (chopped)-3 cups
Onion-1 (chopped)
Green chilli-2 (sliced)
Dried red chillies-2 (broken into two)
Channa dal-2 tspn
Turmeric powder-1/4 tspn
Mustard seeds-1 tspn
Olive oil or coconut oil-1 tblspn
Grated coconut-1 tblspn
A few curry leaves
Salt to taste
Preparation
1.Heat oil in a pan.Splutter mustard seeds.
2.Add channa dal and fry it until it turns golden brown color
3.Add red chillies,onions,green chillies and curry leaves.stir it until the onions turns golden brown colour.
4. Add the grated coconut and stir it until it turns golden brown colour.
5.Add kale,turmeric powder and salt.stir well.
6.Keep the lid closed and cook it in low heat until the kale are tender.
 Serve with rice.

April 2, 2012

Mango Pachadi –Kerala Recipe

Ingredients
Raw mango (cut into small pieces or grated) – 1 – 2 cups
Curd/Yoghurt – 1 cup
Grated coconut – 3 tblsp
Coconut oil – 2 tspn
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds(Jeera) – 1/2 tsp
Green chillies – 4
Salt to taste
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Dry red chillies – 2
Curry leaves – A few
Preparation
1)Cook the raw mango in water with turmeric powder and salt.
2)Grind together the grated coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds and add this mixture to the cooked mango and cook again.
3)Heat oil a pan. splutter mustard seeds.Add curry leaves and red chillies and pour it to the mixture.
4)Allow this mixture to cool.
5)Finally, add the required yogurt/curd into this mixture and mix well.
Serve it with meals